This invention relates to exercise and, in particular, to an improvement in conventional stair-exercise, reciprocating-pedal, or treadmill equipment. This improvement allows a person change direction in order to walk downhill, as well as uphill, while using this equipment.
The primary benefit of stair exercise equipment is well established--namely, the ability to achieve indoors, a range of levels of exercise from moderate to intense while avoiding the kind of damage to the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments inherent in running. This benefit is largely due to the low-impact nature of stair climbing. In addition, this type of equipment is portable. Use of multi-story stairwells or escalators is not practical for a user.
Stair climbing prepares one's body for the vigorous uphill requirements of mountain hiking, but it does not prepare muscle and sinew groups for the extreme demands of downhill hiking. Anyone who has done long mountain hikes knows that the most likely source of injury is due to the downhill part of the hike. Accordingly, this invention will greatly benefit those who train indoors for outdoor activities.
The prior art includes treadmill exercisers, such as Parsons (U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,466) and Harrison (U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,215), as well as exercisers featuring reciprocating pedals such as Champoux (U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,924), McFee (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,970,302 and 4,470,597), DeCloux (U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,669), and Potts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,338). Monteiro (U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,108) has a variation of the treadmill design with steps on a rotating drum. None of these, however, provide for continuous downward stepping. Apparently, these inventors had never been made aware of the importance of downhill conditioning.
Smith et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,147) and Ramhorst (U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,582) have provisions for elevating treadmill machines in such a manner that the user walks uphill. These provisions are not convenient to make and would not serve to enable a user to walk downhill.
Wilkinson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,075) provides for single step-up, followed by single step-down. The lack of capability to continuously step down would make this an unsatisfactory mode of exercising. Ideally, one would like to step uphill continuously for a period of time, followed by downhill stepping for another period of time. And, ideally, uphill and downhill intervals could be repeated and varied. Finally, "climber" exercisers require a user to hold on with her hands in order to not fall backwards. These are not convenient for long exercise sessions aimed primarily at leg strengthening, and these do not exercise leg muscle groups in a sufficiently equivalent manner for conditioning for mountain or hill hiking.
Accordingly, the object of the instant invention is to allow one to train more completely for vigorous recreation such as mountain hiking by virtue of the capability to train by walking downhill as well as uphill.